Addressing-machine



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. GI SI ADDRESSING MACHINE.

' Patented Jul 'm, 1891.

Modem G S COUCH .3 Sheets8heet 2.

ADDRESSING MACHINE.

No. 455,814. Patented July 14,1891.

' I vmgewto'z 4 lff aow v flb to zmm a,

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

a. s. COUCH.

ADDRESSING MAGHINE. No. 455,814. Patented July 14,1891.

ll ml? 7 WITNQSSYESK I v IN E 0H,: f gm, 7 M v BY I Armlmsys l U rTEn STATES 1 AT.ENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SUMNER COUCH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE COUCH ADDRESSER COMPANY, OF MINNESOTA.

ADDRESSING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,814, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed July 19, 1890- Serial'No. 359,243. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern: springs C, which, when it is desired to sepa- Be itknown thatl, GEORGE SUMNER COUCH, rate the parts for any reason, may be disenof Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin gaged therefrom. To prevent any slipping and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain movement of the parts C C I provide-one 55 5 new and useful Improvements in Addressingwith a short arm C and the other with a slot Machines; and Ido hereby declare the follow- C to receive the short arm, as shown in Fig.

ing to be a full, clear, and exact description 4:. A nut C holds the said cylinder or drum of the invention, such as will enable others removably to its shaft. Supported in the upskilled in the art to which it appertains to per end of the laterally-extending support B 10 make and use the same. is a grooved shaft D, in which groove is keyed My invention relates to addressingmaby a set-screw D a stamping-arm D which chines. overhangs the cylinder or drum. Looselypiv- It has for its object to provide a machine of oted to this shaft is a combined envelope and this character which may be rapidly operated ink-ribbon support E,having near its opposite 6 z 5 and which will be simple and strong in conends bearings e for the ink-ribbon rollers, struction, durable in use, and comparatively which are provided with a thumb-button, by inexpensive of production. means of which the ribbon may be wound With these objects in View the invention upon the rollers to present fresh parts to the consists in certain features of construction slugs. It will be obvious that any suitable 7o 20 and combination of parts which will be hereinking device can be used. The stampinginafter fully described and claimed. arm overhangs said ribbon-support above its In the accompanying drawings, wherein central aperture for obvious reasons. like letters of reference indicate correspond- A gage H is adjustably secured to the ribing parts in the several views, Figure l is a hon-support by a set-screw 71., so that it may 2 5 perspective view of myimproved addressingbe adjusted to accommodate different-sized machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion letters or envelopes to bring the center of the of the cylinder or drum,the vertical support, same over the slot in the ribbon-support in and ratchet mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail order to stamp the envelope on its face at the perspective of the ratchet mechanism, showdesired point. An arm I is fixed to shaft D, 8o 0 ing the parts separated. Fig. 4 is a sectional and connected with said shaft and the arm is view on line at m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an ena spring I, which exerts the force to move larged detailed perspective of parts. the arm inward, the said arm being arrested A represents the supporting-base, upward in its inward movement by the stop 1 sefrom which projects the supporting-post B, cured to the said lateral support. A lever J 8; 5 having a laterally-extending arm I). A cylis pivoted to the vertical support at j and is inder or drum C is journaled in the supportconnected to the short armI by a rod 3'. The ing-post at a. The face of this cylinder is lower end of this leverhas pivoted thereto an divided into cells by ribs 0, into which cells operating-pawl 1 which engages the interare located slugs or plates D, each of which nal gear and rotates it tooth by tooth. A 0 4o bears upon its face a suitable inscriptionas, holding-dog K is, pivoted at one end to the for instance, the name and address of a pervertical support at k, and is provided with a son. This drum or cylinder consists of two detent k, which engages the internal gearparts C 0 Thepart C has an annular colwheel C immediately after the pawl I has lar or flange C at its edge, and the part C advanced the cylinder one tooth and prevents 5 V which is embraced by the part C, has asimithe further rotation of said cylinder until the lar flange or collar 0* and an internal gearpawl is again actuated. A spring 1 is arwheel C Between these flanges or collars ranged to exert its power to force the detent the slugs are securely held, it being underat the inner end of the dog into the notches stood that I may arrange lengthwise of each of the gear-wheel. A plate L is pivoted to too 50 cell as many slugs as desired. The parts C the holding-dog and is held pressed against and C of the cylinder are held together by a stop-stud Z by a spring Z. A stud or pin Z projects from the lower end of the lever and engages the plate.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: \Vhen the stamper is depressed,'it rocks the grooved shaft which swings the arm I outward, carrying therewith the lever J, thus throwing the lower end of the lever carrying the pawl inward the distance of one tooth. In this inward movement of the lower end of the lever the pin Z striking against the under edge of the pivoted plate, swings it inward a distance; but the movement of the said plate being in an arc smaller than the are described by the lower end of the pawl the said plate drops to its normal position (shown in Fig. 3) at the instant the pawl on the lower end of the lever reaches the next tooth and is assisted in its movement by the spring Z. The hand now being removed from the stam'per the spring acts, and in throwing the inner end of the lever outward the stud or pin thereon engages the under edge of the pivoted plate and lifts said pivoted plate withthe retaining-dog upward, thus allowing the cylinder to move the distance of one. tooth, at which instant the stud or pin rides free of the pivoted plate, and the retaining-dog immediately drops in engagement with the internal gearwheel, thus checkingthe movement of the cylinder or drum and preventing it moving more than one tooths distance. To indicate that the complete circuit of names has been made and it will be necessary to slide thestamper and the envelope-support along its shaft until they overhangthenext row of slugs, I provide an alarm-bell O, which is sounded by a hammer o )erated b an arm 0 secured to some 3&113

ofthe cylinder or drum.-

In operation place the envelope or postalcard on the holder, which must be placed in a position so the inking-ribbon carried thereby will cover the letters on the slugs perfectly, and the stamp is given a sharp, quick blow.

In changing the cylinder the thumb-screw at the end of the hub is' removed and-the cylinder placed on a flat surface with the internal gear upward. The springs are 110W disengaged and the gear-wheel may then be easily removed and the slugs changed, removed, or new ones inserted in the cells of the cylinder or wheel.

Any number of cylinders may be provided for each machine, and the cylinder in the machine may be removed and another loaded with slugs or plates having a different set of names may be substituted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In combination, a rotatable cylinder or drum, means for holding slugsv thereon, an envelope and inking device support, a shaft for supporting the same, a stamper'keyed to said shaft, means for automatically rocking said shaft in a direction opposite the direction caused by the depression of said stamper, a gear-wheel fixed to said-cylinder or drum, a dog to engage said gear-wheel and-check its rotation, a pawl for engaging said gear-wheel to rotate it tooth by tooth, a lever, and a connection between said lever and the said shaft, said lever connected with the pawl-and arranged to operate said dog.

2. Ina device of the class described, the combination, with a-cylinder providedw-ith a series of cells open at one end, of a collar for closing the ends of said cells, and a spring for uniting said collar to the cylinder, Whereby a constant pressure is exerted upon the ends of the slugs arranged in the cells to hold them in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE SUMNER COUCH.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. HUBAcBEK, Lmwoon O. CARLETON. 

